All PSAT Critical Reading Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1436 : Psat Critical Reading
Answer the following sample question. Select the word or pair of words that most correctly completes the sentence.
Mel's annual salary will be __________ by a sizable performance bonus this year.
deviated
extolled
honed
exacerbated
augmented
augmented
"Augment" means to enlarge or extend. "Hone" means to sharpen or file. "Exacerbate" means to complicate or worsen. "Extol" means to celebrate or glorify. "Deviate" means to detour or change course.
Example Question #1437 : Psat Critical Reading
Answer the following sample question. Select the word or pair of words that most correctly completes the sentence.
Many Native American tribes would __________ along the river to trade and hold festivals during the summer months.
belie
expedite
distend
converge
ameliorate
converge
"Converge" means to congregate or gather together. "Ameliorate" means to make better or refine. "Belie" means to misrepresent or mislead. "Distend" means to become larger and rounder from internal pressure. "Expedite" means to cause something to happen faster.
Example Question #66 : Verbs In One Blank Sentences
Answer the following sample question. Select the word or pair of words that most correctly completes the sentence.
Tom secretly hoped to once again __________ a romance with Jasmine this winter.
jeopardize
kindle
scrutinize
pilfer
juxtapose
kindle
"Kindle" means to ignite or light. "Jeopardize" means to risk or imperil. "Pilfer" means to steal or rip off. "Juxtapose" means to place two or more things side-by-side for comparison. "Scrutinize" means to scan or review in detail.
Example Question #67 : Verbs In One Blank Sentences
Answer the following sample question. Select the word or pair of words that most correctly completes the sentence.
The defendant hoped to __________ his guilty conscious by confessing to all his crimes.
assuage
inhibit
waver
emulate
cadge
assuage
"Assuage" means to soothe or relieve. "Waver" means to shift back and forth or be indecisive. "Inhibit" means to restrict or inhibit. "Cadge" means to beg or scrounge. "Emulate" means to imitate the actions of someone or something.
Example Question #71 : Verbs In One Blank Sentences
Answer the following sample question. Select the word or pair of words that most correctly completes the sentence.
The detective hoped to __________ as much information as he could from the missing man's diary.
glean
feign
obviate
aver
desiccate
glean
"Glean" means to pick out or collect. "Obviate" means to make unneccesary. "Feign" means to pretend or fake. "Desiccate" means to dehydrate or dry out. "Aver" means to assert or maintain.
Example Question #501 : Sentence Completions
The majority of the country was opposed to the war, hoping that differences between the nations would soon be __________.
mystified
reconciled
enticed
obscured
propagated
reconciled
The people want the war to stop, so it is best to assume that they want the disputes between the nation to be resolved. The answer choice that most clearly displays this meaning is reconciled.
Example Question #491 : One Blank Sentences
Sentence Completions: Select the word or phrase that most correctly completes the sentence.
The problem with the sink turned out to be a mass of food residue that needed to be __________ before the water could drain through the pipes.
coddled
expunged
compacted
machinated
inculcated
expunged
We can infer from the sentence that the water is not draining through the pipes. "A mass of food residue" is causing the problem. We could guess that the food is blocking the pipes, so we should predict that the food needs to be removed or expelled. "Inculcated" means to have impressed something on the mind or to have some idea instilled into the brain. That makes no sense in this sentence! "Coddled" means pampered or spoiled, and we don't want to treat the mass kindly, we want to get rid of it! "Machinated" means to have created an evil plot, so it doesn't make sense in the sentence. "Compacted" is close in meaning to the word we want; it means condensed or compressed, so it doesn't really fit the sentence, either. "Expunged" means to have obliterated or completely removed something. That's our best choice.
Example Question #491 : One Blank Sentences
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
By __________ the construction on the highway and taking an alternate route, Marge managed to get to the restaurant before all her friends.
circumventing
hallowing
adapting
postponing
jeopardizing
circumventing
From the context of the sentence, we know that Marge got to the restaurant early because she was able to avoid the construction by taking an alternate route. So, we are looking for a verb that means to avoid. Since to "circumvent" something means to navigate around an obstacle, "circumventing" is the correct answer.
Example Question #492 : One Blank Sentences
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
Sally only __________ her secret after her sister promised she would not tell anyone.
divulged
lauded
endured
coveted
impeded
divulged
The word that fits in this blank needs to be a verb that means something along the lines of told. Since "divulge" means expose secret information, it is the best answer.
Example Question #73 : Verbs In One Blank Sentences
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The medium claimed to be able to __________ the future by looking into her crystal ball.
whittle
descry
oscillate
mollify
squander
descry
We're looking for a verb that means see, as the sentence involves the medium "looking into her crystal ball," or find out in advance, because we can infer that she claims to be able to know about the future in advance. Because of this, the best answer choice is "descry," which means either see or discover.
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